With Popovich grieving, Messina keeps Spurs together

San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Ettore Messina shouts to the team during the first half of Game 3 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Golden State Warriors in San Antonio, Thursday, April 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) less

San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Ettore Messina shouts to the team during the first half of Game 3 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Golden State Warriors in San Antonio, Thursday, ... more

Photo: Eric Gay, STF / Associated Press

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It’s unknown if Ettore Messina will fill in for Gregg Popovich again in Sunday’s Game 4 at the AT&T Center.

It’s unknown if Ettore Messina will fill in for Gregg Popovich again in Sunday’s Game 4 at the AT&T Center.

Photo: Eric Gay / Associated Press

Image 3 of 3

San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Ettore Messina watches play against the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series in San Antonio, Thursday, April 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) less

San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Ettore Messina watches play against the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series in San Antonio, Thursday, April 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Tony ... more

Photo: Eric Gay, STF / Associated Press

With Popovich grieving, Messina keeps Spurs together

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Intellectually, Steve Kerr knew Thursday was going to be an odd night at the AT&T Center.

The Golden State coach didn’t quite realize how odd until he glanced toward the Spurs’ bench before the Warriors’ 110-97 playoff victory and did not see the man who had been a fixture there for 22 seasons.

“It was strange looking down the sideline and not seeing Pop,” Kerr said.

At the moment the Warriors were preparing to send the Spurs to a 3-0 deficit in their Western Conference first-round series, Gregg Popovich was with his family, mourning the death of Erin, his wife of 40 years.

In the space where Popovich would have been, Kerr saw a well-dressed 58-year-old Italian, doing his best to hold down the Spurs’ fort against impossible odds.

More Information

(7) Spurs

vs. (2) Warriors

Game 1

@Golden State 113, Spurs 92

Game 2

@Golden State 116, Spurs 101

Game 3

Golden State 110, @Spurs 97

(Warriors lead 3-0)

Game 4

@Spurs, 2:30 p.m. Sunday, ABC

Game 5*

@Golden State, Tue., TBD, FSSW

Game 6*

@Spurs, Thu., TBD, FSSW

Game 7*

@Golden State, Sat., April 28, TBD, FSSW

*If necessary

Ettore Messina was a European coaching legend before Popovich brought him to the Spurs as a lead assistant in 2014-15. He has been a professional head coach longer than Popovich, having cut his teeth with the Italian team Vitrus Bologna in 1989. After the current season ends, Messina is expected to interview for the vacant head coaching job in Charlotte.

On Thursday, he became the first native European-born coach to lead a team in an NBA playoff game.

Certainly, this was not the manner in which Messina would have preferred to make such history.

“It was a sad time, as you can understand,” Messina said. “I think everybody did a fantastic job in really trying to support each other and face a moment like it should be faced, with the support of friends.”

Before the game, point guard Tony Parker acknowledged the difficult position Messina found himself in.

In his Spurs tenure, Messina had coached one preseason game and two regular-season games with Popovich out for various reasons.

This was different.

“It’s very tough, especially in the middle of a playoff series like this,” Parker said.

Since 1998, the Spurs have played 276 postseason games. Thursday was the first in that span without Popovich on the bench.

Don’t get it twisted. Popovich’s absence had little to do with the Warriors’ latest romp.

As has been the case throughout the series, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson were most responsible for Golden State’s success. The pair combined for 45 points as the Warriors claimed a 13-point victory that was their narrowest of the playoffs so far.

The Spurs shot about as well for Messina and they did for Popovich, which is to say not good. After hitting only 4 of 28 3-pointers in their Game 2 loss in Oakland, the Spurs were 7 of 33 in San Antonio.

What the Spurs missed most — more than all those open 3-pointers — was simply Popovich’s presence.

“You go through a season with anybody for 82 games, you see them every day,” Spurs guard Danny Green said. “You’re used to them being there. Especially with his presence. When that’s not there, it’s a big difference.”

In that regard, Messina was a champion simply for filling in under difficult circumstances.

Popovich was involved heavily in crafting the Spurs’ game plan, with most of it put in place before news of his wife’s death hit Wednesday evening.

Once the game tipped off, Messina steered the Spurs’ ship in the manner he thought Popovich would approve.

“I loved his movements, the Xs and Os, the stuff he draws up for us,” Green said.

The Warriors went through something similar, albeit not quite as devastating, on last season’s march to an NBA championship.

Kerr missed six weeks of the season, including the start of the playoffs, while dealing with complications from back surgery. When the Spurs faced Golden State in last year’s conference final, assistant Mike Brown was acting coach.

Not surprisingly, Popovich was one of the colleagues Kerr tabbed for support during that difficult period. Popovich coached Kerr for four seasons with the Spurs, then later became his friend.

The two talked often during Kerr’s health scare.

“He’s gone through hell,” Popovich said last May.

This week, it was Kerr’s turn to help usher Popovich through his own version of Hades.

“I spoke with him today,” Kerr said after Game 3. It’s a very difficult time obviously for Pop and his family, and for all of us who love Pop and Erin.”

It has not yet been decided if Popovich will return to the bench for Sunday’s potential elimination game at the AT&T Center.

If he cannot, the task of helping the Spurs try to become the first NBA team to ever win a playoff series after being down 3-0 and stave off the start of the offseason would again fall to a well-dressed 58-year-old Italian.